Residential Aged Care Flu Vaccination Requirements

Dear Kirkbrae families, visitors and friends, In response to COVID-19 the Australian Department of Health have announced that from the 1st May 2020, all aged care employees and visitors must have received a Flu Vaccination before entering a residential aged care home. The vaccination must be for this year. This directive aims to decrease the risk of residents suffering a co-infection of COVID-19 and Influenza.

Dear Kirkbrae families, visitors and friends,

In response to COVID-19 the Australian Department of Health have announced that from the 1st May 2020, all aged care employees and visitors must have received a Flu Vaccination before entering a residential aged care home. The vaccination must be for this year. This directive aims to decrease the risk of residents suffering a co-infection of COVID-19 and Influenza.

Kirkbrae have been making proactive efforts to ensure that employees, volunteers, and contractors are informed of this requirement and are vaccinated prior to the 1st May 2020. The Kirkbrae staff and resident Flu Vaccination Program is underway, with all staff being offered free vaccinations and residents being immunised by their GPs as appropriate.

As of 1st May 2020, anyone visiting the Kirkbrae Residential Aged Care Facility, including family and friends, will be required to provide evidence of having had the Flu vaccination. We are unable to allow anyone entry to the facility without this evidence unless there is a medical reason for the person not receiving the vaccination.

Visitors who are unable to have an influenza vaccination due to a known adverse reaction can visit; however, they are required to provide evidence, from a medical practitioner, of the known adverse reaction as a reason they cannot have the vaccination. We encourage visitors who cannot have an influenza vaccination due to adverse reactions to only visit for compassionate reasons.

Evidence of receiving the Flu vaccination can take the form of a letter from your GP, a certificate from a registered vaccinator or an immunisation history statement available from Medicare online or mobile app. A visitor may also complete a statutory declaration stating they have had the vaccination as it is a legally binding document.

We request that evidence of having received the Flu Vaccination be provided to us as soon as possible and before the 1st May 2020. Once provided we will keep a record of this evidence, so you do not need to provide it on each visit. Please provide this evidence via email to admin@kirkbrae.org.au, in person to a nurse at the facility or via mail. We will not be able to allow visits after the 1st May if this evidence has not been provided.

Please advise other family and friends of this requirement if they visit a resident at Kirkbrae.

If you wish to discuss this further please contact our senior clinical team Sukh Chahal or Anne Marie Cowper Hill, or Lyn Kleehammer the Facility Manager.